The link between having a job and enjoying economic stability has significantly deteriorated in the Canary archipelago. The situation of the “working poor,” who despite having a regular paycheck cannot maintain a dignified life, has become more pronounced, as warned by the Independent Union of Workers of the Canary Islands (SITCA).
Union sources indicate that, although there has been a reduction in temporary contracts in favor of permanent ones, the reality is that precariousness has worsened. Many permanently employed individuals in the Canary Islands not only lack economic stability but also struggle to cover their basic food needs.
“"There are workers who either eat or pay rent, because with 1000 euros you cannot pay for both."
This problem is particularly acute in key sectors of the Canarian economy. For example, in the airport 'handling' sector, where over 1,000 people work, 85% have permanent contracts, but only 4% work full 40-hour weeks. The rest survive on part-time shifts of 10, 15, or 20 hours, resulting in salaries of barely 700 euros per month.
The situation is not exclusive to a single area. More than 150,000 workers in the Canary Islands are linked to the Minimum Interprofessional Wage (SMI) due to outdated collective agreements. This affects professions such as office workers, commerce, construction, agriculture, packaging, bakeries, pastry shops, hairdressers, and domestic workers. In commerce, 90% of employees receive the SMI, highlighting the scale of the low-wage problem.
The direct impact of this precariousness is felt in the cost of living. The shopping basket in the Canary Islands has increased by almost 28% in the last five years. This price escalation, coupled with the housing crisis, forces thousands of families to make difficult decisions, such as choosing between food and rent. The lack of investment in public housing from 2007 until two years ago is pointed out as one of the structural causes of the problem.
“"Where 100 people used to work in a hotel, now 80 do, and that is called work overload."
In addition to low wages, work overload is another factor contributing to precariousness. In the tourism sector, after the pandemic, there has been a reduction in staff, meaning fewer employees handle the same amount of work. Split shifts have also emerged in hospitality, creating dead hours between shifts and making work-life balance difficult. This combination of factors is causing an increase of over 30% in mental health problems among the Canarian working class since 2020, affecting their ability to build a stable life project.
